Agenda and minutes

Members and officers must declare any pecuniary or personalinterest in any business on the agenda. They should also make declarations at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting. Consideration should be given to leaving the meeting if the nature of the interest warrants it.  If in doubt please contact Democratic Services before the meeting.

41.1     In accordance with the code of conduct, the following interests were declared: -

·         Cllr Cooper declared a personal interest in respect of item 5, West Sussex Stroke Programme, as a Governor of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

·         Cllr McKnight declared a personal interest in respect of item 5, West Sussex Stroke Programme, as an employee of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

The Committee is asked to agree the minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2022 (cream paper).

42.1     Resolved – that the minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2022 are approved as a correct record and are signed by the Chairman.

The Committee is asked to note the responses to recommendations made at previous meetings of the Committee.

43.1     The Committee considered the responses to recommendations and requested an update on recommendations relating to Financial Assessments – Action: Scrutiny Advisor to liaise with Finance Service to request an update on this recommendation ahead of the next meeting.

43.2     Resolved – that the Committee: -

·         Agrees that the letter requested to be sent to MPs in regard to extra capacity in hospital beds has been superseded by the recent decision taken by the Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services and that the committee will be kept informed by the service on ongoing development

·         Asks for a response to be chased and circulated ahead of the next Committee relating to the request for more information on disability related expenditure

Report by Director of Law and Assurance.

The Committee is asked to assess the NHS Sussex proposal to change stroke services and determine whether this constitutes a substantial variation in the provision of service, and if so, whether it requires further scrutiny.

44.1     The Committee considered a report by NHS Sussex (copy appended to the signed minutes).

44.2     Summary of responses to committee members’ questions and comments:

·       The consultation will cover the general population, including those covered by the Equality and Health Inequality Impact Assessment and areas of deprivation and will provide reassurance with clinical evidence

·       The consultation documents will be available in easy read format and other languages, including sign language

·       Bed numbers will increase at Brighton and Chichester hospitals to allow for extra stroke patients due to the reconfiguration and an estimated 2% increase due to population growth in the next five years

·       Travel analysis assessments carried out during the options appraisal process, confirmed by South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust, found that the maximum ambulance travel time for any patient to either the Brighton or Chichester Acute Stroke Centre (ASC) would be 45 minutes – travel and the impact on family, friends and carers, will be further investigated during the public consultation

·       Concerns were expressed around current ambulance response times and it was noted that this would be covered in the SECAmb agenda item scheduled for March

·       Patients will be triaged by paramedics and clinicians to get them to the most suitable ASC as quickly as possible where they will be met by stroke specialist nurses with the triage information leading to quicker treatment and better outcomes

·       Stroke patients in the north of the county will still be conveyed to the East Surrey hospital in Redhill

·       Staffing is a key element of the programme and will receive investment in all areas

·       Detailed plans for recruitment and retention of staff would be developed and should be helped by the range of services provided at an ASC

·       There is a need to work on the public perception of the ambulance service and the complexities of different types of strokes

·       The voluntary sector would be engaged to help reach vulnerable people

44.3     Resolved – the Committee: -

                   i.     Fully supports the current proposal for acute stroke centres

                  ii.     Requests further data on travel times to be provided as part of the consultation process

                 iii.     Requests that information on the decision-making process for residents on which stroke centre they will be transferred to be included as part of the FAQs in the consultation process

                 iv.     Agrees that the changes proposed constitute a substantial variation on services

                  v.     Asks to be engaged formally as part of the consultation process via email, and a central response from the Committee will be collated

                 vi.     Asks that all county and district/borough councillors affected by this proposal be consulted as part of the consultation process

Report by Director of Adults and Health (DASS).

The report sets out how the delivery of the strategy has been mapped into all aspects of the 2022/23 Adults and Health business plan and how this will continue into 2023/24 and future years.

The Committee is asked to scrutinise the planned delivery of the strategy, as set out in the report and consider whether the activities identified meet the commitments set out in the strategy.

45.1     The Committee considered a report by the Director of Adults and Health (copy appended to the signed minutes).

45.2     Summary of responses to committee members’ questions and comments: -

·         Work to develop further Extra Care Schemes across the county would include Crawley

·         The Strategy would prioritise people who were homeless or sleeping rough due to their social care situation

·         No changes were foreseen in the way national government funds local government

·         The Council continues to support adult social care as much as possible through its budget and partnership working

·         The Council welcomes a national workforce strategy to help with recruitment of social care staff. Until this is published, workforce has been made one of the top priorities of the Integrated Care System Strategy and the Council is pushing for a south east strategy for social care and is close to signing-off a local council strategy

·         The Council’s strength-based approach to social care is fundamental to delivering preventative services and treating issues such as getting people discharged from hospital and will lead to better outcomes for people

·         The percentage of adults with learning difficulties in paid employment could be higher than reported as not all may be known to social services with some finding paid work following on from undertaking voluntary work

·         The Council is trying to work at pace whilst developing a sustainable model of social care for the future and meeting criteria set out in the Care Act

·         The Council monitors the services it commissions and has very few providers that are rated inadequate

·         Care Quality Commission inspections of Adults’ Services stopped for a number of years during which time the Council ran a sector-led model with peer-to-peer reviews, inspections are due to start again this year - Care Quality Commission inspections of registered social care provider services – care homes and domiciliary care has continued

·         Adult social care key performance indicators align with Care Act requirements and may alter if changes are made nationally

·         Commissioning is an important part of the strategy, with  the commissioning team  restructure supporting work  on mental health, disabilities and preventative and early help interventions

·         There was a query regarding the amount of money owed to the Council by social care funders

Resolved – that the Committee: -

                     i.        Requests further information on Extra Care Housing relating to the Crawley area

                    ii.        Asks the Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services to ensure that the issues of adult social care funding continues to be on the agenda for the recurring meetings with local MPs

                   iii.        Share information requested at December’s County Council meeting relating to the total monies owed to the Council by social care funders to the Committee

                  iv.        Agrees that an annual update on the Adult Social Care Strategy be added to the work programme

Report by Director of Adults and Health (DASS).

The report provides the Committee with the opportunity to consider and comment on Adults’ Services Quality Assurance activities.

The Committee is asked to assess the Quality Assurance activities relating to Adults’ Services.

46.1     The Committee considered a report by the Director of Adults and Health (copy appended to the signed minutes).

46.2     Resolved – that the Committee supports the Quality Assurance activities relating to Adults’ Services.

Extract from the Forward Plan dated 22 December 2022 – attached.

An extract from any Forward Plan published between the date of despatch of the agenda and the date of the meeting will be tabled at the meeting.

The Committee is asked to consider whether it wishes to enquire into any of the forthcoming decisions within its portfolio.

47.1     Resolved – that the Committee requests a briefing note on the latest position on the Avila House Extra Care Housing Scheme to be circulated to the committee.

The Committee to review its draft work programme taking into consideration the checklist at Appendix A.

48.1     Resolved – that the Committee asks the Business Planning Group to consider when an item relating to the Integrated Care Strategy and an update on the Task & Finish Groups relating to Marjorie Cobby House and Shaw Day Services could be scheduled on the Committee’s work programme.

For the Committee to advise the scope for the Task & Finish Group.

49.1     The Committee suggested the following areas of focus for the Task & Finish Group: -

·         Suicide prevention

·         Children and adolescent mental health services

·         Eating disorders

·         Transition to adults’ services

·         Digital/social media impact on young people’s mental health

·         Minority groups

·         Older people on medication

·         Existing provision

·         Stigma

49.2     Resolved – that all suggestions be collated and circulated to the Committee by email so that members can give them more consideration and pass their final thoughts to the Senior Advisor.

The next meeting of the Committee will be held on 8 March 2023 at 10.30 am at County Hall, Chichester.  Probable agenda items include:

·         End of December 2022 (Quarter 3) Quarterly Performance and Resources Report

·         South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust Update

Any member wishing to place an item on the agenda for the meeting must notify the Director of Law and Assurance by 21 February 2023.

50.1     The next meeting of the Committee will be held on 8 March 2023 at 10.30am at County Hall, Chichester.